Gov't task force readies La Niña mitigation efforts

MANILA – The government's task force against El Niño assured the public Tuesday that mitigation efforts to cushion the impact of La Niña will be put in place.

This as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recently raised a La Niña Watch even as the country is still dealing with the effects of El Niño or extreme drought.

According to Task Force El Niño spokesperson and Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, preparing for La Niña is among the mandates of the inter-agency task force based on the executive order issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. early this year.

"Kung pagbabasehan po natin 'yung Executive Order (EO) No. 53 Reconstituting and Reactivating Task Force El Niño, nakalagay din po doon '(we have to) prepare mitigation measures for El Niño and La Niña' (If we base it on Executive Order No. 53 Reconstitution and Reactivating Task Force El Niño, it is also stated there that we have to prepare mitigation measures for El Niño and La Niña as well)," Villarama told reporters in an interview.

He said that the focus areas include food security, water security, energy security, public health, and public safety.

Likwise, low-lying and flood-prone areas will be closely monitored in close collaboration with the respective local government units, the official said.

La Niña is characterized by cooler sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific which triggers above-average rainfall in the country.

According to PAGASA, the probability of the La Niña phenomenon occurring in the next six months is at 55 percent.

Although the imposition of a La Niña Watch is not a guarantee that the phenomenon will develop, Villarama said the government will still prepare for any eventuality.

"Sana po ang panalangin natin hindi po humantong doon sa delubyo ulit 'yung pagbabaha pero rest assured po naghahanda din po ang government, lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno for that eventuality. (We are hoping and praying that it would not lead to another catastrophe, but rest assured that all branches of the government is also preparing for that eventuality)," he said.

The El Niño weather phenomenon has so far caused over P1.23 billion in agricultural damage across the country.

President Marcos issued EO 53 in January to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute the old El Niño task forces under EO 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order 38 (s. 2019).

Under EO 53, the President directed the task force to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for El Niño and La Niña to provide "systematic, holistic, and results-driven interventions" to help the public minimize their effects. (PNA)